This interview was originally published in Japanese on thefirsttimes.jp. Translated by VK Chronicle.

INTERVIEW & TEXT BY Tomoyuki Mori / PHOTO BY Kei Masuda

Four Jr. EXILE groups—GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE, THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE, FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE, and BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE—have launched “EXILE TRIBUTE” to add brilliance to EXILE’s 20th anniversary celebration. We interviewed representatives from each group: Ryuto Kazuhara (Vo / GENERATIONS), Shogo Yamamoto (Performer / THE RAMPAGE), Sota Nakajima (Vo / FANTASTICS), and Masahiro Sunada (Vo & Performer / BALLISTIK BOYZ). These four groups have earnestly faced EXILE, inheriting the spirit of constant challenge while bringing out the original songs’ strengths and firmly reflecting their own colors. They speak about the joy of giving form to their respect, and the responsibility they feel in inheriting the soul before such a brilliant history.

“EXILE Education” from Childhood—The Impact I Received

Q: First, could you tell us about when you all first encountered EXILE?

Ryuto Kazuhara: My parents were always listening to EXILE, so it was ingrained in me from childhood. So when I later learned about EXILE’s existence, I was naturally drawn to them, and I was really struck by them. They seemed a bit intimidating (laughs), but they were so cool.

Shogo Yamamoto: I first saw their MV on TV when I was in fourth grade. Of course I thought they were cool, but at the same time I had this feeling of “Who are these people!?” Since I didn’t know about dreads back then, I remember thinking “Wow, that guy has really thick hair” (laughs).

Sota Nakajima: I got into them because of a friend’s influence when I was in elementary school. From there I became obsessed, and my friend and I became so well-known at school that people would say “Those two really love EXILE, huh?” (laughs). I was playing soccer, and before every match I’d watch EXILE’s MVs to get pumped up.

Masahiro Sunada: As for when I first learned about EXILE… it was just naturally part of my everyday life, so I don’t really remember exactly when. But OkazaiLE had a huge influence on me. That was around first grade. I saw them doing close-ups on individual members, and I learned about the existence of kid dancers supporting EXILE, and I became incredibly interested. Right after that, I joined EXPG.

Responsibility and Joy as a Member of a Place Where Dreams Come True

Q: So, about “EXILE TRIBUTE.” Four Jr. EXILE groups are covering EXILE’s masterpieces. What did you feel when this project was first launched?

Ryuto: HIRO has been saying for a while that “I want to do a project to boost EXILE together with a new generation,” so being able to tribute EXILE’s songs as ourselves at this 20th anniversary milestone is really amazing. It’s not every day you get to give form to your admiration and respect for your seniors, you know? In that sense, I think it’s a precious opportunity, and I’m glad I could participate.

Shogo: Same here. Within THE RAMPAGE, there are members who stood on the same stage as EXILE when they were EXPG students. EXILE often says “EXILE is a place where dreams come true,” and through participating as a backup dancer at their lives, I was able to truly understand what that meant for the first time. And this time, we’re carrying EXILE’s banner, and as members of LDH going forward, we need to lead the way. It was a moment where I felt my spine straighten.

Q: So there was tension and pressure. Nakajima, how about you?

Sota: I’m one of the people who wanted to become a singer because of EXILE, and EXILE is truly a group that’s given dreams to so many children. Now we’re on the side that’s sending out that message, but I think we need to be the kind of presence that gives kids dreams and goals. We’re only four years into our debut as a group, but through EXILE TRIBUTE, I want to become that kind of presence.

Masahiro: I actually got to dance as a backup dancer at EXILE’s lives when I was a kid. And now I’m singing songs we danced to back then as part of my own group… it feels really surreal (laughs). Of course I’m simply happy and honored—that’s the biggest feeling for me.

The Technical Brilliance of “SUPER SHINE” That I Couldn’t Sing Properly Back Then—Now I Understand

Q: How were the cover songs selected?

Ryuto: HIRO had an image in mind of “this song fits this group,” and at the same time, each group’s opinions were taken into consideration, so songs that matched each group’s color were chosen.

Q: I see. The lead track for “GENERATIONS FROM EXILE” is “SUPER SHINE.”

Ryuto: When I was a kid, I sang this song at karaoke, but I have this memory of not being able to sing it properly for some reason. But by covering it this time, I could finally get the answer to that.

Q: You figured out why you couldn’t sing it well?

Ryuto: Exactly. When you break down the song, you realize that ATSUSHI and TAKAHIRO are doing really intricate things vocally. Comparing it to my childhood memories when I couldn’t sing it at all, I understood it while recording (laughs). “SUPER SHINE” actually breaks musical rules in a way. The melody and chords clash, but harmonically they fit together perfectly. In our version, there’s a rap section from (Kendrick) Mendy and Reo (Sano), and including that, it becomes GENERATIONS’ expression. It’s both respect for the original and learning from the attitude of continually challenging themselves—”we also want to create something new.”

Ryuto Kazuhara (Vo / GENERATIONS)

Q: The MV performance also really feels like GENERATIONS has made the song completely their own.

Ryuto: We had that feeling too. We really love the original MV, so we proposed the white sunglasses performance ourselves. We intentionally kept some of the original choreography the same, so please check that out.

Making “No Limit” THE RAMPAGE’s Soul Song

Q: Comparing the original MV with ours does seem fun. And “THE RAMPAGE FROM EXILE” covered “No Limit.”

Shogo: “No Limit” is a song that was performed at ‘EXILE LIVE TOUR 2015 “AMAZING WORLD”’ when EXILE original members MATSU (Toshio Matsumoto), MAKIDAI, and USA (ÜSA) retired. We backup dancers performed while wearing masks, and I directly felt the energy from all the members—it’s a song that left a strong impression on me. Being able to perform a song like that as THE RAMPAGE is truly an honor, and I thought “I want to make this song THE RAMPAGE’s soul song. I want it to be a song where we can burn our souls.” I handled all the choreography myself and was involved in the MV’s composition. It’s a song I have a lot of feelings about, an important song.

Shogo Yamamoto (Performer / THE RAMPAGE)

Q: The choreography also expresses your respect for the original.

Shogo: Yes. I wanted to blend EXILE’s style of dancing with our own color, so I thought about it pretty carefully.

“Each Other’s Way ～旅の途中～”—A Song That Fits FANTASTICS’ Group Character

Q: FANTASTICS covered “Each Other’s Way ～旅の途中～.”

Sota: It’s fresh and really suits FANTASTICS’ group character, and I think people will feel the difference from the other three groups. We actually covered “Each Other’s Way ～旅の途中～” at our first hall tour, ‘FANTASTICS SOUND DRAMA 2019 FANTASTIC NINE.’ Since Sekai and Taiki (Sato) are EXILE members, we were able to reference the original choreography while really bringing out FANTASTICS’ style.

Sota Nakajima (Vo / FANTASTICS)

Q: There are kid dancers in the MV too, right?

Sota: Yes, kid dancers appear in the original MV too, and Keito Kimura was actually one of them. With the feeling of wanting kids to have dreams and goals, we had kids appear in our MV as well.

“Touch The Sky”—Possible Only Because All BALLISTIK BOYZ Members Hold Mics

Q: And BALLISTIK BOYZ covered “Touch The Sky.”

Masahiro: It’s an exciting version where rap and vocals clash intensely.

Masahiro: I think it’s a version that was only possible because all of us hold mics. Rather than just reproducing the original song, we wanted to inherit EXILE’s soul while also delivering our own style and feelings, so it turned out this way. I was listening to “Touch The Sky” on CD almost every day when it came out, and more than a decade later, being able to deliver it in this new form to contemporary listeners makes me really happy.

Masahiro Sunada (Vo & Performer / BALLISTIK BOYZ)

Creating 1 from 0 is Really Amazing

Q: By facing these songs this way, you must have really felt anew the significance of EXILE’s ongoing activities?

Ryuto: I really realized they’re a group that has created such an incredible history. I listened to the cover songs the other groups did too, and each one has a different style, with its own story. I felt “This group has moved the hearts of so many people,” and it also made me feel that we need to cherish each activity. The songs we create could become someone’s dream, could even change someone’s life.

Q: True.

Shogo: Like I said before, EXILE is a place where dreams come true, and they’re a group that continues with “Love, Dream, Happiness.” For example, if someone covered THE RAMPAGE’s songs 20 years from now, that would be amazing, right? The power of the original, which remains fresh even after all those years, is incredible, and I really felt that EXILE is a pillar supporting the foundation of Japanese entertainment.

Q: Right. EXILE really changed the landscape of Japanese entertainment.

Shogo: They’re originals. Creating 1 from 0—I think that’s truly amazing. Also, each group’s individuality matches perfectly with the songs they covered. I think fans will be happy about it.

Sota: The other day at a live, we covered EXILE’s “VICTORY,” and the moment all the audience members raised their hands, I felt the power transfer… It’s a song that people of all ages know, and being able to inherit it is an honor. I also felt the happiness of living in the same era as EXILE.

Masahiro: We received dreams from EXILE and ended up joining LDH… I realized anew that it’s a place where such people gather. Not just us, but many people were inspired by EXILE and pursued a path in entertainment, and there are people chasing their dreams right now. We could potentially give dreams to someone too, and I want to work even harder. In terms of being an entertainer, we’re standing on the same stage as EXILE, so feeling “they really did amazing things” is something I’m experiencing.

New Exchanges Between Original EXILE Members and Jr. EXILE

Q: It’s a precious opportunity to have members from different groups talk like this, isn’t it?

Ryuto: We used to run into each other and chat here and there, but…

Masahiro: The number of times we meet decreased because of the pandemic.

Sota: I’m happy we can talk like this.

Shogo: I’m happy too (laughs).

Ryuto: Same here (laughs).

Q: (Laughs). I hear Kazuhara, you have exchanges with ATSUSHI and TAKAHIRO?

Ryuto: We’re on good terms. With “EXILE TRIBUTE,” centered around HIRO, ATSUSHI is also checking all the songs as sound director. He said “I’m happy you’re inheriting the songs we’ve worked hard to create.” He also gave us advice on the rearrangement direction.

Sota: He gave proper opinions on each individual song. He listened to what we wanted to do too, and I felt so much love.

Looking Toward a Bright Future—Continuing Our Activities With a Spirit of Inquiry

Q: This project will probably strengthen the bonds within EXILE TRIBE even more. With 2022 coming up, momentum should increase further.

Ryuto: I hope so. These past two years have been quite painful… I think fans have endured a lot too. When the world becomes bright again, we’re preparing so we can dash forward at full speed, so please wait for that moment.

Q: It’s been a tough two years…

Ryuto: Yes. But we also created new songs during these two years, so that was good.

Shogo: Through this tribute project, I reconsidered what it means to belong to LDH. What should THE RAMPAGE do as a group? What should we convey? With that in mind, I want to move forward step by step with our fans.

Sota: Since EXILE continues to evolve with the times, I want to continue our activities with a spirit of inquiry too. In this era, distribution and visual media have emerged as ways to communicate, and there must be forms of entertainment we still haven’t seen. I want to carefully shape what we’ve felt and learned during these two years, raise our quality, and share it.

Masahiro: Our first solo live was cancelled due to the pandemic, and things didn’t go as planned, but I want to make a big push thanks to “EXILE TRIBUTE.” Being “FROM EXILE” has tightened my resolve even more, and I want next year to be a good one for us.

Release Information

THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE 2021.12.01 ON SALE SINGLE「THE RAMPAGE FROM EXILE」

BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE 2021.12.08 ON SALE SINGLE「BALLISTIK BOYZ FROM EXILE」

FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE 2021.12.15 ON SALE SINGLE「FANTASTICS FROM EXILE」

GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE 2021.12.22 ON SALE SINGLE「GENERATIONS FROM EXILE」

Profiles

GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE

Ryuto Kazuhara (カズハラリュウト) / Born December 28, 1992. A vocalist active as a member of GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE. GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE OFFICIAL SITE https://m.tribe-m.jp/artist/index/37

THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE

Shogo Yamamoto (ヤマモトショウゴ) / Born October 6, 1995. A performer active as a member of THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE. THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE OFFICIAL SITE https://m.tribe-m.jp/artist/index/43

FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE

Sota Nakajima (ナカジマソウタ) / Born August 18, 1999. A vocalist active as a member of FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE. FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE OFFICIAL SITE https://m.tribe-m.jp/Artist/index/168

BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE

Masahiro Sunada (スナダマサヒロ) / Born May 17, 2000. A vocalist & performer active as a member of BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE. BALLISTIK BOYZ from EXILE TRIBE OFFICIAL SITE https://m.tribe-m.jp/Artist/index/195

Read the original Japanese interview on thefirsttimes.jp